NORWICH – U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D - NY) held a press conference in the lobby of UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital (CMH) yesterday morning, April 10, where he unveiled the Rural Hospital Access Act of 2017: legislation which, according to Sen. Schumer, would protect programs of vital importance to rural hospitals like UHS CMH.

“I have always fought for our rural hospitals – rural hospitals are under particular strain,” said Sen. Schumer. “But they’re just as important as any other hospital. And the people who live here in Norwich, or in Chenango County, deserve the same healthcare as the people who live in larger suburban and city areas.”

According to Sen. Schumer, two particular programs responsible for collectively providing $1.8 million in annual funding to UHS CMH – among other rural New York hospitals – are the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) Program, and the Low-Volume Program – both of which are set to expire on September 30 of this year.

“...the loss of this funding would be devastating for rural communities in the Southern Tier and throughout Upstate New York,” said Sen. Schumer. “That is why I’m unveiling legislation that would put an end to any uncertainty and provide permanent funding for the Low-Volume and Medicare-Dependant Hospital Programs.”